Moby-Dick

Image credit: Penguin Books Aus.

 I’m not sure of there is a word that accurately describes the concept of a book, in the reading experience it affords, being as incredibly reflective (almost torturingly so) of its central narrative and setting. In the case of Moby-Dick, a monstrous tome celebrated as the ‘Great American Novel’, ‘reflective’ just doesn’t cover it. 

Narrated by the central protagonist, Ishmael, Moby-Dick chronicles an incredible sea voyage on the Pequod, a whaling ship captained by the maimed and monomaniacal Captain Ahab who is searching for the monstrous white whale that took his leg. Ishmael weaves an engaging and enlightening narrative, as he educates readers about the majesty of the whale, the work that goes into acquiring oil, skin, and meat, and the lunacy that overpowers man when an obsession takes absolute hold. 

Being a very wordy and lengthy tome in itself, Moby-Dick is most certainly not a venture to be entered into lightly. It requires determination and an unwavering commitment. But honestly, once that step is established, it’s one of the most incredible books! 

More than a high seas adventure story, Moby-Dick is a social and political critique, an encyclopaedia, a theological discussion, an allegory, and sometimes a humorous yarn. Its bulk is quickly justified by the sheer volume and complexity of the narratives, exposition, and philosophical ideas that lie between the front and back covers. But while it ominously sits on a shelf or bedside table; a monolithic monster in itself, it’s a truly incredible, engaging, and compelling reading experience that both challenges and rewards those brave enough to tackle it. 

Melville’s writing is superbly crafted, the voice of his protagonist is simultaneously dramatic, philosophical, biting, and whimsical, and the simplicity of the voyage narrative is proof that sole enjoyment is not to be derived from the destination, but the journey. 

Image credit: National Library of Scotland

While it’s a book that scares a lot of people, and like the white whale itself, often defeats readers by tossing them out of their comfort zone or dragging them into a wordy realm in which breath seems impossible, it is quite seriously a most incredible masterpiece of literature. An absolute unit and classic in the Great Literary Canon, the sense of achievement one experiences when closing the cover on it is immaculate. 

Author: Herman Melville, 1851

Published: Harper and Brothers (New York), 1851

Full Title: Moby-Dick; or, the Whale